Thompson River Rafting - Fraser Canyon
Notes from Nate
Activity:
Hey, it's me Nathan. I'm here to tell you about this intense trip I took river rafting down the Thompson River. It was organized through my school, Handsworth Secondary. We took a bus to Ashcroft, a small town in the interior of B.C., where a company called Kumsheen conducts these thrilling rafting experiences.Now, me being me, a teenage boy who doesn't like to take his parents' advice, I was not prepared for this at all. It was March and the weather was horrible-the coldest and rainiest ever. I should've thought about it: Ashcroft isn't known for its mild temperatures. I wore a T-shirt and shorts. But, it wasn't all that bad; the people at Kumsheen loaned us fashionable yellow jumpsuits, which kept us sort of dry. At least I wasn't as bad as some of the girls who went. I think they thought they were going on a boat cruise. I wonder how their cashmere, Lacoste, and Ralph Lauren attire held up by the end of the trip?
I remember driving up and thinking, "Is this it?" when I saw the waves. They looked so lame. But let me tell you, those waves grow 10 times when you are shooting into them. So if you're a daredevil take a seat in the front; that's where you get the most action-and the most wet. The first major rapid is called Frog. Why, I don't know. But trust me on this one; it is huge. The good thing about rafting with Kumsheen is that they have motorized boats called rigs, which are easier to maneuver. Plus if you want to go back upstream and try some rapids over again, these will get you there.
The rafting ends at Kumsheen where the Fraser and Thompson rivers meet. Someone told me Kumsheen means the joining of two rivers. The resort is pretty deluxe. It has a restaurant, gift shop, lounge, pool, hot tub, disc golf, places to walk, volleyball courts, and that's just what I saw. Unfortunately we didn't stay in the resort. Our home away from home for one night was a leaky tent, which I had to share with three other guys. I'll never complain about my bed again.